Title: Omics approach in the study of natural hybridisation in Nepenthes species
Muhammad Mu’izzuddin Zulkapli, Wan Mohd Aizat Wan Kamaruddin and Hoe-Han Goh
Institut Biologi Sistem, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM Bangi, 43600 Selangor, Malaysia
The Nepenthes genus consists of carnivorous plants that have evolved intricate pitcher formation at the tip of their leaves for nutrient acquisition from insect trapping. Previous studies reported several proteins present in the pitcher fluid, including aspartic proteases (nepenthesin I and II), and pathogenesis-related proteins (β-1, 3-glucanase, class IV chitinase, and thaumatin-like protein) which are enzymatically stable albeit exposed to external environment. We are interested in understanding the effect of natural hybridisation on the expression of enzymes in the pitcher fluids of Nepenthes. N. ampullaria, N. rafflesiana and their natural hybrid, N. x hookeriana were chosen as the model due to the distinct feeding habits of N. ampullaria as a detritivore which feeds on leaf litter, while N. rafflesiana and N. x hookeriana remain carnivorous. To identify novel proteins in the pitcher fluids will require transcript information for the inference of peptide sequences through proteomics informed by transcriptomics (PIT) approach. PacBio isoform sequencing (Iso-Seq) provides unprecedented full-length transcriptome profiles of all three species as reference databases for protein identification. Comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed through orthologous clustering of predicted peptide sequences. The hybrid, N. x hookeriana has the highest number of predicted proteins, whereby more proteins were shared with N. rafflesiana than N. ampullaria. This is consistent with previous genetic study and morphological observation. We are currently investigating allele-specific gene expression and whether novel transcripts are generated as a consequence of hybridisation. Current progress will be presented.
Biography
Hoe-Han Goh, a plant molecular biologist, graduated from the University of Sheffield, UK. He started his first academic position at the Institute of Systems Biology, Universiti Kebangsaan (National University) Malaysia in Nov 2011. He has trained himself on the applications of NGS by attending courses and workshops on NGS data analysis held at BGI-Shenzhen and TGAC UK. Since then, he has established a plant functional genomics research group with a focus on crop improvement and molecular exploration of tropical plant species using NGS and functional genomic approaches. In Jun 2014, he was appointed as a head of plant biotechnology centre.
Presenting author details
Full name: Hoe-Han Goh
Contact number:+6018-2158068;
Twitter account: @goh5987
LinkedIn account:
Sessionname/ number: Agricultural biotechnology
Category: Oral presentation